A new code for advertising food and drink came into force today.
Ads for treat food and drinks prohibited when children are 25% or more of the audience.
Previously it was 35%.
The AANA ( Australian Association of National Advertisers) recently completed a comprehensive review of the Food & Beverage Advertising Code that regulates food and non-alcoholic beverages advertising.
“This requirement applies at all times of the day and night, to all media, both traditional and digital,” says the AANA’s Director Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Megan McEwin.
The other major changes to advertising food and beverages in Australia include:
- the creation of a single unified F&B Code incorporating the previous AANA Code and two other initiatives that covered Quick Service restaurants and packaged foods found in supermarkets and grocery stores;
- the definition of ‘occasional’ foods will now be determined by the application of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion;
- harmonising and raising the definition of a child to under 15 years of age to align with Australia’s broadcasting standards;
- broadening the reach of the Code to cover sponsorships;
- aligning the truth in advertising requirements in the Code with the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) requirements.
“The new F&B Code reflects the advertising industry commitment to responsible advertising and demonstrates how the self-regulatory system responds to changes in community standards. Importantly, the Code represents more stringent protections for children," says McEwin.
“The unified F&B Code has expanded the remit of the Code by applying the new common nutrition criteria to sponsorship and point-of-sale advertising.“
“To ensure the new standards are applied across all advertising in Australia, AANA has undertaken a comprehensive education campaign over the last six months."
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